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Le Clos de Bien Boire 2024 is Château de Villeneuve’s wine of pleasure and indulgence—the gold standard of the Saumur-Champigny appellation. Sourced from an isolated plot on the tuffeau hillsides of Souzay, this organic Cabernet Franc delivers everything one looks for in a great Saumur-Champigny: expressive yet delicate fruit, remarkably refined tannins, and the freshness typical of the Loire’s limestone soils. Best enjoyed over the next 5 years.
91/100 Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France.
Le Clos de Bien Boire is the entry-level cuvée into the world of excellence at Château de Villeneuve—and undoubtedly one of the best values in the Saumur-Champigny appellation. Behind a name that seems to suggest lightness lies a true expression of terroir, sourced from an isolated plot carefully selected by Jean-Pierre Chevallier from among the estate’s 20 hectares of Cabernet Franc.
Château de Villeneuve, a leader in the Saumur region
Château de Villeneuve has been based in Souzay-Champigny since 1969—three generations of the Chevallier family on the same tuffeau hillsides overlooking the Loire. Jean-Pierre Chevallier, a graduate of the Bordeaux Institute of Oenology, has long been hailed as the “leader of the Saumur region” by Bettane & Desseauve (4 stars). The entire vineyard has been certified organic since 2013, and the transition to the next generation is already underway: his daughters Cécile (since 2018) and Caroline (since 2022) are ensuring the continuity of an estate that ranks among the most consistent in the appellation.
The Clos de Bien Boire plot
The cuvée takes its name from a well-defined plot, set apart within the estate’s vineyards, whose unique location and exposure yield grapes of uniform ripeness and above-average aromatic finesse. It is a Cabernet Franc plot situated in the heart of Souzay’s Turonian limestone—that white tuffeau characteristic of the Saumur region, into which the château’s cellars have been carved and into which the vines’ roots dig deep to draw out freshness and minerals. This limestone terroir is the key to the lightness and elegance of Clos de Bien Boire.
Winemaking and Aging
The grapes are harvested by hand into 20-kg crates and sorted on a sorting table. Cold pre-fermentation maceration is used to extract aromas without astringency, followed by vinification in truncated-cone oak vats—a hallmark of the estate—before aging in 500-liter barrels that have held two or three previous vintages, never new oak, so as not to mask the expression of the fruit and the terroir.
Tasting notes for the 2024
The color is a clear, brilliant ruby red. The nose is immediately expressive and delicate: fresh red fruits, raspberry, cherry, a light floral note, and a subtle limestone minerality in the background. The palate is supple and luscious, supported by tannins with the finesse and roundness characteristic of Souzay tuffeau. The finish is fresh, slightly chalky, long, and mouth-watering. This is a Saumur-Champigny best enjoyed in its youth to savor its fruity vibrancy, or cellared until 2030 for added complexity. Serve at 15–16°C.
91/100 — Guide to the Best Wines of France
Food and Wine Pairings
Fine charcuterie, roasted poultry, veal in cream sauce, sautéed mushrooms, goat cheeses from the Loire region (Sainte-Maure de Touraine, Crottin de Chavignol), herb pizza.
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Data sheet
Cabernet Franc
From vines 20 to 40 years old, Domaine Fabrice Gasnier's Les Graves comes from south-facing vines. This organic Chinon is greedy, fruity and beautifully mature. Enjoy it over 5 years.
Guide des meilleurs vins de France 2025: 89/100
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Le Clos de Bien Boire 2024 is Château de Villeneuve’s wine of pleasure and indulgence—the gold standard of the Saumur-Champigny appellation. Sourced from an isolated plot on the tuffeau hillsides of Souzay, this organic Cabernet Franc delivers everything one looks for in a great Saumur-Champigny: expressive yet delicate fruit, remarkably refined tannins, and the freshness typical of the Loire’s limestone soils. Best enjoyed over the next 5 years.
91/100 Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France.